1. Technical Field
The invention relates to valves for inflatable devices such as rigid hull inflatable boats (ribs) or other military use boats, inflatable dinghies, life rafts, escape slides, white water rafts, kayaks, etc., and more particularly an internal cross over valve for inflatable rafts and the like where the valve fluidly connects at least two separate compartments in the inflatable device thereby allowing inflation of the multiple compartments while also providing control of fluid flow therebetween.
2. Background Information
For years, numerous different types of inflatable devices have been used for a variety of reasons. For instance, inflatable life rafts have been regularly provided on large aircrafts and water vessels for decades including those used by the military. These inflatable life rafts provide the necessary flotation vessels as would be needed by the passengers of the aircraft or water vessel should the aircraft crash or otherwise end up in water, or should the water vessel sink.
Rigid hull inflatable boats or ribs have also become extremely popular. These and other like boats with inflatable portions are coupled to rigid portions (in one case fiber glass or like material hulls are coupled with inflatable tubes) to define the watercraft. These ribs have increasingly become the inflatable vessel of choice in the military for many operations. In addition, civilian use has also rapidly expanded because these ribs work well as dinghies due to the rigid hull coupled to peripheral inflatable tubes that can readily bump up against docks, other boats and the like without causing damage.
For safety reasons, and also in certain instances as recommended or even required by law, ribs or inflatable rafts for the military or civilian aircraft or watercraft use are formed of at least two distinct and separate inflatable chambers or compartments. These chambers remain completely separate so inflation thereof can be controlled, and so that deflation in the case of a rupture of one of the compartments will not deflate the entire raft but only that one compartment. As a result, inflation valves and mechanisms, often called fill valves, are often provided for each and every compartment or chamber. This requires expensive, bulky equipment attached to each compartment. Alternatively, external cross over inflation valves are available such as those provided by Mirada Research & Manufacturing, Inc. and subject to currently pending provisional patent application No. 60/304,261.